Jerrad's Favorite Games Of 2021 — Controlled Interests

Honorable Mentions (Games I didn't complete enough of): Eastward, Moonglow Bay, Pokemon BD/SP

9. Forza Horizon 5

I'm not a car guy. I also happen to be the type of person who finds almost every racing game to be uninteresting and/or unappealing. With the Forza Horizon series those tendencies fall to the wayside as Playground Games manages to make this series accessible and fun to both gearheads and people like me, all at once. The story mode in Forza Horizon 5 takes players to Mexico, a diverse and gorgeous set of environments and locations that have you driving at top speeds through all sorts of weather and terrain conditions.

The reason Forza Horizon 5 was so successful and can bring in people like me is that at its core it is simply a fun arcade game that's constantly throwing rewards at the player. I know I can start up the game, equip my fastest car, and simply lose track of time messing around in the open-world. It's hard not to play this latest masterpiece by Playground Games and not become exceptionally hyped about what their reboot of the Fable franchise is going to deliver.

8. Loop Hero

If you're a fan of the Dark Souls series or the anime that inspired those games called Berserk, then chances are Loop Hero caught your eye, as it did mine when it was released in early 2021. This game reduced a gaming experience down to both a literal and figurative game loop that has you circling the same tiles in a connected circular path. By playing cards on the board you both make the experience more challenging while accelerating your progress in the game itself.

Loop Hero isn't for everyone, but for those who give it a try, there's a moment where it digs its nihilist hooks in you and doesn't let go. Sure, this game is listed here for being one of the best games of 2021 that I played, but it feels like one of those classic titles I see myself returning to over time. The simple nature of it at the beginning of a run that slowly and gradually builds in complexity is a structure that makes it easy to get into and will likely aid in it holding up as time moves on.

7. Unpacking

We often harp on the fact that games need to feel ultra engaging and immersive to justify the time we spend with them. The truth of the matter is that games are entertainment and as humans, we often desire different things from the media we choose to ingest. Unpacking, by developer Witch Beam, on the surface presents itself as a relaxing and somewhat meditative experience that has you unpacking boxes and placing objects in their appropriate spots. As the game proceeds you slowly realize that you're also unpacking the life of someone as they grow and evolve through the different stages of life we all face in one way or another.

This game can be started and finished in a matter of hours, but once you put the controller down the experience will stick with you long after you put the last stuffed animal on a shelf. As an industry, we need to do a better job at celebrating games that offer unique experiences you won't find anywhere else. Considering the last couple of years the world has had to endure, everyone should make themselves a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate, download Unpacking, and healthily decompress.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

It's rare to find a video game that's genuinely and consistently funny, especially in the realm of AAA licensed projects. Guardians of the Galaxy from Eidos Montreal happens to be the rare case in which this happens, and it did it with flying colors in 2021. The Guardians of the Galaxy went from C-list characters in the comics, to pop culture mainstays thanks to James Gunn's pair of films and Eidos Montreal captured the heart of that team and its characters so well.

The game doesn't feel like cheap impressions, and the dialogue between the characters feels authentic and constantly had me chuckling. As far as combat goes it can be a bit clunky and unintuitive in its design, but it's hard to deny how fun it is to combo moves and zip around the combat arenas. In a move that surprised almost everyone, the core strength of this game is its narrative and emotional themes it centers on throughout. The game is ultimately about grief and overcoming loss. What does it mean to move on, and what can we do in the absence of a loved one to make sure their death was not in vain? It wasn't a perfect game, but it set the foundation for what could be a special franchise under the eye of Eidos Montreal.

5. Backbone

The adventure game genre is a harder sell in the modern age of gaming as it is often mashed with other genres such as action or role-playing to deliver a more well-rounded experience. In 2021 developer Eggnut delivered a detective noir indie experience titled Backbone, set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, where you play as a raccoon private investigator whose simply case involving infidelity unravels a city-wide operation that involves murder, scientific exploitation, and heartbreak.

On the surface Backbone has you uncovering clues through dialog choices as you run into an eclectic cast of characters. From the soundtrack to the art direction, the game immersed me in a world all its own. The story features plenty of twists, turns, and surprises that had me yearning for answers, but only created more questions. The pacing and length are perfect as it doesn't ask you to overcommit and doesn't extend the story with pointless filler. This is the type of game you want to hop into with as little information as possible and let the mystery unfold in front of your eyes.

4. Life Is Strange: True Colors

With Life Is Strange: True Colors being the first mainline entry in the series developed by Deck Nine I was cautiously optimistic going in. The core of Life is Strange has you experiencing the story of someone with an extraordinary gift, who must endure the worst of what life was to offer. True Colors introduces Alex Chen as a likable music snob who's looking to reconnect with her long-lost brother in a small mountain town located in Colorado called Haven. The game focuses on relationships, and thanks to Alex being an empath who can connect with others' emotions, these bonds are forged in an extraordinary fashion.

By the end of the fifth and final act, it was clear that this was the best of what Life is Strange has to offer. It was an emotionally engaging journey about self-discovery, friendship, and self-acceptance. The focus is often on what choices you make as the player, but it's also about the choices you don't make or the things you don't say. All of the performances are rock-solid and it comes equipped with a brilliant soundtrack, another staple of the franchise. If this is the quality of the Life is Strange series under Deck Nine moving forward, I can't wait to see what they do next.

3. Death's Door

Every year there seems to be a title that flies under the radar, and in 2021 that game happened to be Death's Door by Acid Nerve. This action-adventure RPG takes the best parts of FromSoftware level and world design and mashes it up with what feels like a modern take on a linear The Legend of Zelda entry. The game's combat is fluid and easy to pick up but provides a bit of growth for those looking to master it. When looking at its soundtrack it's filled with emotionally gripping melodies that cascade you a myriad of feelings and suit whatever challenge stands in your way.

The boss fights and characters are where Death's Door truly shines as they immediately stand out on their own and have you changing up your equipped weapon and/or the type of tool or spell you're using to traverse the arena. The narrative of the game is intriguing enough to have you wanting more as you unravel the mystery of what evil lays behind the origin of the doors and why the crows have been fated to keep watch.

2. Halo: Infinite

When Halo: Infinite was originally set to release in 2020 it was surrounded by plenty of question marks due to its divisive showing at that year's Xbox E3 presentation. After the publisher made the tough decision to delay it a year it was unclear if that was the right move. Fast forward a year and it's clear that they knew what they were doing. The multiplayer portion launched a month early in a beta state and allowed me and my friends to be injected with an overdose of nostalgia. As always with Halo, the shooting mechanics felt immaculate and the experience overall felt invigorating.

A month later the full game was released, which added plenty of new multiplayer modes but also included the single-player campaign. The switch to an open-world mixed with the addition of the grapple shot made traversal fun and engaging in a way Halo has never seen. Boss fights and outposts were a far cry from the linear narrative story-telling the series was known for, but the lore and character moments weren't lost in these changes. It's hard to say the campaign was a 10/10, but adding it to the stellar multiplayer offering makes it one of the best total packages we've seen in a while and puts Halo back on the map in a major way.

1. Psychonauts 2

It's hard to quantify exactly how much Psychonauts 2 meant to me in a year like 2021 where the world is still in the middle of a global pandemic. Double Fine presents the game as a comedic platformer that sees the lead character Raz Aquato diving into the minds of other people. Once you dive into its world of rich and inclusive characters you quickly realize it's a game about mental health, trauma, and relationships. It handles this subject matter with a sense of caring and respect that's rarely achieved, all while weaving an entertaining experience exploring the wonderfully weird and delightful inter-workings of various minds.

Psychonauts 2 is a game that may not look like it is driving innovation in the industry in terms of its gameplay mechanics or structure, but it does manage to push the medium forward when you look at the subject matter it tackles and how expertly it intertwines that with child-like whimsy and comedy that hits more than it misses. In a year full of uncertainty many people like myself struggled with their mental health in various ways. Psychonauts 2 delivered an experience that helped me understand that everyone is fighting a battle of their own and understanding your issues and the scars they leave can help you overcome them, or at least learn to manage them more healthily.